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sarahmrob's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cekisha's review against another edition
2.0
A word I'd use to describe this book would be: silly.
Or perhaps disappointing. But silly suits it better.
After I've seen my friends rating it with 5 stars and raving about how good it is, I was impatient to start reading it.
However, the moment I started - I found it underwhelming.
Okay, Tessa Dare tends to write silly historical romance but this one takes the cake.
The characters are caricatures while the dialogues are ridiculous and anachronistic. I tend to love witty banters between the main characters but here they seemed too forced and 'contemporary' for my liking.
And even though I love scarred heroes, Ash was a bit too much for me. His humor was off-putting and weird (especially when he talked about unicorns, vomit and who knows what more). I didn't like the way he talked to Emma and the way he would use her as a 'broodmare'. He also forbid her to sew (which was her only passion) and that was a big no no for me.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Or perhaps disappointing. But silly suits it better.
After I've seen my friends rating it with 5 stars and raving about how good it is, I was impatient to start reading it.
However, the moment I started - I found it underwhelming.
Okay, Tessa Dare tends to write silly historical romance but this one takes the cake.
The characters are caricatures while the dialogues are ridiculous and anachronistic. I tend to love witty banters between the main characters but here they seemed too forced and 'contemporary' for my liking.
And even though I love scarred heroes, Ash was a bit too much for me. His humor was off-putting and weird (especially when he talked about unicorns, vomit and who knows what more). I didn't like the way he talked to Emma and the way he would use her as a 'broodmare'. He also forbid her to sew (which was her only passion) and that was a big no no for me.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
jacrosby22's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hpazlink's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was such funny and witty writing for a regency romance.
agrippinaes's review against another edition
5.0
This is going to be a hard review for me to write because this is quite possibly one of my favourite romances of all time, and is definitely my favourite historical romance; I’ve reread it a number of times. I absolutely adore everything about it and there is just too much I could waffle on and on and on about. Aside from being very well-written, more than anything else it is a genuinely very funny book with some excellent comedic moments and lots of perfect one-liners. Even in the middle of angsty arguing, there is still humour and light to be found, and it’s perfectly pitched against the story. It opens very strongly with one of my favourite meetings of two characters ever, in a scene that is very funny and sets the tone for the rest of the book.
I love both characters. Emma’s strength and determination really shines through and I love every single quote about her being her own hero and keeping her head high. Her backstory is quite a simple one but I love how its handled and how her bravery is emphasised.
Ash is one of my favourite ever romance heroes, I absolutely adore everything about him and the way that he shows affection. He’s a genuinely difficult character, but Tessa Dare never lets him fall into the realms of unlikeable, and I think that takes real skill.
Their relationship is wonderful; it has good chemistry, and manages to be equal amounts sexy and achingly romantic at some points.
It’s also very well-plotted and every scene in it means something. There’s so many strong points about this book, too many to number completely, but my highlights are
It’s just a lovely, lovely book. The plotline is so deceptively simple - Tessa Dare packs so much emotion and character development into this book but does it in such a light, gentle way, it’s really impressive to me. Every time I reread it I’m reminded of how much I love it but I also discover something new every time. On this reread, it was this quote, which I think sums up the main relationship so beautifully:
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to call you Ash. It’s just not who you are. Ash is the dead, cold remnants after a fire. The parts that get swept away and discarded. You’re not Ash to me. You’re alive and blazing and more than a little dangerous. You always keep me warm.”
There’s not much else for me to say - I think it’s a wonderful, romantic, sexy book and I adore it.
I would recommend it if you want a very funny, historical marriage of convenience romance with a grumpy hero and a sunshiney heroine.
Content Warnings:
I love both characters. Emma’s strength and determination really shines through and I love every single quote about her being her own hero and keeping her head high. Her backstory is quite a simple one but I love how its handled and how her bravery is emphasised.
Ash is one of my favourite ever romance heroes, I absolutely adore everything about him and the way that he shows affection. He’s a genuinely difficult character, but Tessa Dare never lets him fall into the realms of unlikeable, and I think that takes real skill.
Their relationship is wonderful; it has good chemistry, and manages to be equal amounts sexy and achingly romantic at some points.
Spoiler
The scene in the inn, for example, is very strong, and the Don’t love me scene is my favourite love scene in any romance book ever, I think it’s beautifully written, sexy, funny and romantic all at once.It’s also very well-plotted and every scene in it means something. There’s so many strong points about this book, too many to number completely, but my highlights are
Spoiler
the scene in the dress shop, every failed attempt at consummating the marriage, the whole incident at Swanlea, when he confronts her father, when her father comes back to see her, the ball scene in its entirety, both of their burgeoning friendships with the other ladies, all of the nicknames, Breeches the cat, the servants trying to make them fall in love, Khan’s entire character, Emma and Ash having sex literally everywhere and anywhere they can and thinking no one has noticed, and Emma buying him a whole new wardrobe.It’s just a lovely, lovely book. The plotline is so deceptively simple - Tessa Dare packs so much emotion and character development into this book but does it in such a light, gentle way, it’s really impressive to me. Every time I reread it I’m reminded of how much I love it but I also discover something new every time. On this reread, it was this quote, which I think sums up the main relationship so beautifully:
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to call you Ash. It’s just not who you are. Ash is the dead, cold remnants after a fire. The parts that get swept away and discarded. You’re not Ash to me. You’re alive and blazing and more than a little dangerous. You always keep me warm.”
There’s not much else for me to say - I think it’s a wonderful, romantic, sexy book and I adore it.
I would recommend it if you want a very funny, historical marriage of convenience romance with a grumpy hero and a sunshiney heroine.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
Mild violence, sexual threat, emotional parental abuse, mentions of serious illness, discrimination/abuse against Ash (the hero) for his facial scars.bbckprpl's review against another edition
5.0
Reviewed here for CBR 10.
So, instead, I'm just going to put some of my favorite quotes in this space. Here be spoilers, I guess.
"That was, perhaps, the most unfeeling proposal she could imagine. The man was cynical, insensitive, condescending, rude. And she was definitely going to marry him."
"I'm infatuated with you, however unwillingly. It's a problem."
"It would be a problem," he said, "if it weren't a product of your imagination."
"I'm not imagining things."
He shrugged. "Maybe you're nearing your monthly courses. I hear women become seething maelstroms of irrational emotion at that time."
"Well, now I'm seething." She gave him an irritated look. "You are such a man. And I'm stupidly attracted to you despite it. Perhaps even for it. Yes, I'm certain it's infatuation. I've felt it before."
Now Ash was the one who became a maelstrom of irrational emotion. That emotion being jealous anger. "Toward whom?"
"Why should it matter?"
"Because," he said, "I like to know the names of the people I despise. I keep them in a little book and pore over it from time to time, whilst sipping brandy and indulging in throaty ominous laughter."
So, instead, I'm just going to put some of my favorite quotes in this space. Here be spoilers, I guess.
"That was, perhaps, the most unfeeling proposal she could imagine. The man was cynical, insensitive, condescending, rude. And she was definitely going to marry him."
"I'm infatuated with you, however unwillingly. It's a problem."
"It would be a problem," he said, "if it weren't a product of your imagination."
"I'm not imagining things."
He shrugged. "Maybe you're nearing your monthly courses. I hear women become seething maelstroms of irrational emotion at that time."
"Well, now I'm seething." She gave him an irritated look. "You are such a man. And I'm stupidly attracted to you despite it. Perhaps even for it. Yes, I'm certain it's infatuation. I've felt it before."
Now Ash was the one who became a maelstrom of irrational emotion. That emotion being jealous anger. "Toward whom?"
"Why should it matter?"
"Because," he said, "I like to know the names of the people I despise. I keep them in a little book and pore over it from time to time, whilst sipping brandy and indulging in throaty ominous laughter."
caradniehoff's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
5.0
"The Duchess Deal" had me laughing from start to finish, it had me hot beneath the collar and I read it in a couple of sittings. I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. Yet, I did waver between a 4* and 5* rating but with it (sort of) being Christmas, I wanted to be generous.
This novel had so many of my favourite Regency Romance elements. I don’t really like the prim and proper novels that stick very closely to the 'rules' of Regency society, preferring flaming passion, witty repartee and laughter. 'The Duchess Deal' had the laughter and wit, it was romantic and passionate, it was so steamy I thought the pages would start to crinkle and it had banter. My God, the banter.
The characters were all likable and well-developed, whether leading or supporting, and I loved the personalities and vibrancy. I was smiling from start to finish. Emma wasn't the traditional prim virgin, but someone who was in touch with her own sexuality and sassiness. Ash was more than just the grumpy recluse, and his development was really lovely to read.
I only wavered over a 4* rating because I felt that too many elements were repeated without effect. Many of the jokes were told, and I laughed, but then they would crop up a few more times and I felt that some events were written just for the laughs rather than progressing the plot or characters.
I laughed at Emma using odd endearments for Ash, but there were too many instances and I just want to move passed it. Likewise, I felt that Ash calling himself a Monster and encouraging the 'legend' of the Monster of Mayfair was in there just to create laughs and not because it added anything. I really felt that that whole element could have been cut out without detriment to the plot. Yes, Trevor was funny, but I just didn't think it all necessary.
I laughed throughout this book, I loved the chemistry between Ash and Emma and when I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about it. So I wasn't going to let the above negatives lower the rating.
This novel had so many of my favourite Regency Romance elements. I don’t really like the prim and proper novels that stick very closely to the 'rules' of Regency society, preferring flaming passion, witty repartee and laughter. 'The Duchess Deal' had the laughter and wit, it was romantic and passionate, it was so steamy I thought the pages would start to crinkle and it had banter. My God, the banter.
The characters were all likable and well-developed, whether leading or supporting, and I loved the personalities and vibrancy. I was smiling from start to finish. Emma wasn't the traditional prim virgin, but someone who was in touch with her own sexuality and sassiness. Ash was more than just the grumpy recluse, and his development was really lovely to read.
I only wavered over a 4* rating because I felt that too many elements were repeated without effect. Many of the jokes were told, and I laughed, but then they would crop up a few more times and I felt that some events were written just for the laughs rather than progressing the plot or characters.
I laughed at Emma using odd endearments for Ash, but there were too many instances and I just want to move passed it. Likewise, I felt that Ash calling himself a Monster and encouraging the 'legend' of the Monster of Mayfair was in there just to create laughs and not because it added anything. I really felt that that whole element could have been cut out without detriment to the plot. Yes, Trevor was funny, but I just didn't think it all necessary.
I laughed throughout this book, I loved the chemistry between Ash and Emma and when I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about it. So I wasn't going to let the above negatives lower the rating.